Preview — The Mysterious Affair at Styles
by Agatha Christie

In her first published mystery, Agatha Christie introduces readers to the heroic detective, Hercule Poirot. This is a classic murder mystery set in the outskirts of Essex. The victim is the wealthy mistress of Styles Court. The list of suspects is long and includes her gold-digging new spouse and stepsons, her doctor, and her hired companion.

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(_.- Jared -._) ₪ Book Nerd ₪Well technically the fist Hercule Poirot story was The Chocolate Box written in 1909 but this was a short story. This was indeed the first novel…moreWell technically the fist Hercule Poirot story was The Chocolate Box written in 1909 but this was a short story. This was indeed the first novel however written in 1916 but not published until 1920. There isn't really any continuity to worry about in the series so you can read them in any order you like.

But just in case you're still interested, here is the order, when written, not published, that I have:01 - The Chocolate Box (1909)02 - The Mysterious Affair at Stiles (1916)03 - The Kidnapped Prime Minister (1918)04 - The Lemesurier Inheritance (1918)05 - The Affair at the Victory Ball (1919)06 - The Disappearance of Mr. Davenheim (1920)07 - The Adventure of the Cheap Flat (1920)08 - The Submarine Plans (1920)09 - The Incredible Theft (The Submarine Plans) (1920)10 - The Adventure of the Clapham Cook (1920)11 - The Cornish Mystery (1921)12 - The Tragedy at Marsdon Manor (1921)13 - The Mystery of Hunter's Lodge (1921)14 - The Adventure of the Egyptian Tomb (1921)15 - The Jewel Robbery at the Grand Metropolitan (1921)16 - Double Sin (1921)17 - The King of Clubs (1922)18 - The Adventure of the Italian Nobleman (1922)19 - The Double Clue (1922)20 - The Adventure of Johnny Waverley (1922)21 - The Case of the Missing Will (1922)22 - The Million Dollar Bond Robbery (1922)23 - The Veiled Lady (1923)24 - The Lost Mine (1923)25 - The Adventure of the Western Star (1923)26 - A Fellow Traveler (The Murder on the Links) (1923)27 - The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding (The Theft of a Royal Ruby) (1923)28 - The Big Four (1924)29 - The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (1926)30 - The Plymouth Express (1926)31 - The Mystery of the Blue Train (The Plymouth Express) (1926)32 - The Third Floor Flat (1929)33 - The Underdog (1929)34 - The Wasps Nest (1929)35 - Black Coffee (1930)36 - Dead Man's Mirror (The Second Gong) (1930)37 - The Mystery of the Spanish Chest (Baghdad Chest) (1930)38 - Peril at End House (1931)39 - Lord Edgeware Dies (Thirteen at Dinner) (1932)40 - Murder in Mesopotamia (1932)41 - Murder on the Orient Express (1932)42 - Three Act Tragedy (1933)43 - Death in the Clouds (1934)44 - How Does Your Garden Grow (1935)45 - The ABC Murders (1935)46 - Dumb Witness (The Incident of the Dog's Ball) (1936)47 - Problem at Sea (1936)48 - Triangle at Rhodes (1936)49 - Market Basing Mystery (1936)50 - Murder in the Mews (Market Basing Mystery) (1936)51 - Cards on the Table (1937)52 - Death on the Nile (1937)53 - Appointment with Death (1937)54 - Hercule Poirot's Christmas (1937)55 - Yellow Iris A Hercule Poirot Short Story (1939)56 - The Dream (1939)57 - One, Two, Buckle My Shoe (1939)58 - Sad Cypress (1939)59 - The Nemean Lion (The First Labor of Hercules) (1939)60 - The Lernaean Hydra (The Second Labor of Hercules) (1939)61 - The Arcadian Deer (The Third Labor of Hercules) (1939)62 - The Erymanthian Boar (The Fourth Labor of Hercules) (1939)63 - The Augean Stables (The Fifth Labor of Hercules) (1939)64 - The Stymphalean Birds (The Sixth Labor of Hercules) (1939)65 - The Cretan Bull (The Seventh Labor of Hercules) (1939)66 - The Horses of Diomedes (The Eighth Labor of Hercules) (1939)67 - The Girdle of Hippolyta (The Ninth Labor of Hercules) (1939)68 - The Flock of Geryon (The Tenth Labor of Hercules) (1939)69 - The Apples of Hesperides (The Eleventh Labor of Hercules) (1939)70 - The Capture of Cerberus (The Twelfth Labor of Hercules) (1939)71 - Evil Under the Sun (1941)72 - Four and Twenty Blackbirds (1941)73 - Five Little Pigs (1942)74 - The Hollow (1945)75 - Taken at the Flood (1946)76 - Mrs. McGinty's Dead (1952)77 - After the Funeral (1953)78 - Hickory, Dickory Dock (1954)79 - Dead Man's Folly (The Greenshore Folly) (1955)80 - Cat Among the Pigeons (1958)81 - The Clocks (1962)82 - Third Girl (1963)83 - Hallowe'en Party (1968)84 - Elephants Can Remember (1971)85 - Curtain (1974)(less)

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You are Captain Arthur Hastings, and you are slowly falling in love with a Belgian. The feelings are embarrassing at first; you find the Belgian himself to be quite an embarrassment. But there is just something about him. Could it be his suave, continental sense of humor... his keen sense of justice... his shapely, rubenesque figure? Or is it simply his hypnotic mustache, perhaps? The passion develops in fits and starts. You don’t want to love him, you really don’t. YouChoose Your Own Adventure!

You are Captain Arthur Hastings, and you are slowly falling in love with a Belgian. The feelings are embarrassing at first; you find the Belgian himself to be quite an embarrassment. But there is just something about him. Could it be his suave, continental sense of humor... his keen sense of justice... his shapely, rubenesque figure? Or is it simply his hypnotic mustache, perhaps? The passion develops in fits and starts. You don’t want to love him, you really don’t. You don’t want to follow him around, adventure after adventure. You don’t want to be his little bitch, always at his beck and call, sniping and moaning at him but loving it nonetheless. You don’t like mysteries but you are about to fall victim to the greatest mystery of them all: the mystery of the human heart! Try as you may, the Belgian has hold of you, heart and soul. You will follow him forever.

"Dear me, Poirot," I said with a sigh, "I think you have explained everything! And how wonderful of you to wait until page 230 to finally shed light on all your absurd behavior throughout the book, and to justify and the red herrings and narrative padding! But of course, it could only be so in the classic style of a fiendish murder mystery! Why, in fact, though this is but the first case we have solved together, I have no doubt we could do the exact same thing as many as 86 more times, depending"Dear me, Poirot," I said with a sigh, "I think you have explained everything! And how wonderful of you to wait until page 230 to finally shed light on all your absurd behavior throughout the book, and to justify and the red herrings and narrative padding! But of course, it could only be so in the classic style of a fiendish murder mystery! Why, in fact, though this is but the first case we have solved together, I have no doubt we could do the exact same thing as many as 86 more times, depending on if you count the smaller cases!"

If you've read my reviews before, you know I love mystery fiction, and in particular, the classics. Agatha Christie died in 1976, and I was born the following year. Two things come to mind... (1) It's a good thing I wasn't alive when she died because I would have been so miserable to be around. (2) Since I was born just about a year later, I'm wondering if maybe a small part of her lives on... as I love her genius and her works of literature... and I can re-read her books over and over again witIf you've read my reviews before, you know I love mystery fiction, and in particular, the classics. Agatha Christie died in 1976, and I was born the following year. Two things come to mind... (1) It's a good thing I wasn't alive when she died because I would have been so miserable to be around. (2) Since I was born just about a year later, I'm wondering if maybe a small part of her lives on... as I love her genius and her works of literature... and I can re-read her books over and over again without ever getting bored.

There are tons of reviews of all her major works, and I don't need to be repetitive in my review. What I'd really try to get across is why you need to read ANY of her works, and then why I'd suggest this one:

1. This was one of her first books, and I believe the first published one, in 1920, which means she was probably writing it exactly 100 years ago. And though some of the language is a little different, and it takes place with a different cultural atmosphere, the crux of the story -- its plot, is appropriate at any point in time. People don't love Christie for her beautiful language or her great ideas... yeah, she had some of those... but it's her plots and characters that stand out. And those transcend time.

2. Who else can create such a puzzle that you are constantly trying to guess what's going on? True, tons of writers today, but not 100 years ago. And even with modern writers, it's often in a suspense and thriller type of novel, where it's all about the chase. Christie was all about the calm approach to solving a murder. She didn't try to end each chapter with a big WOW and heart-wrenching scare tactic. It's simple evolution of a timeline, collections of clues, conversations with people... and then you start to see the puzzle come together. But at the last minute, you get the unexpected twist.

3. With this first book, you meet Hercule Poirot, one of her two popular detectives. Poirot is annoying. He's painful. He will make you angry while you are laughing. And that's the cool part. Columbo is the best comparison I can come up with. And I'm certain Columbo was based on large part by Christie's Poirot.

So why this book???????

It's the first in the series. It's a prime example of why her stories work. It's the ultimate tale - a family with secrets. It takes place in the UK... the best place to visit and perhaps live. I don't live there, only visited it. :}

But it's really the slow build-up of the clues that will have your mind working overtime. So... if you need a Christie stand-alone book, go to "And Then There Were None." If you like female investigators, choose a Miss Marple. If you like a Belgian male detective, flip a coin and pick between Murder on the Orient Express or The Mysterious Affair at Styles. Both will be a great read. But if you need to start at the beginning, go with this one to see what an author's first book looks like. Because if I didn't have my Christie... I'd be like...

About MeFor those new to me or my reviews... here's the scoop: I read A LOT. I write A LOT. And now I blog A LOT. First the book review goes on Goodreads, and then I send it on over to my WordPress blog at https://thisismytruthnow.com, where you'll also find TV & Film reviews, the revealing and introspective 365 Daily Challenge and lots of blogging about places I've visited all over the world. And you can find all my social media profiles to get the details on the who/what/when/where and my pictures. Leave a comment and let me know what you think. Vote in the poll and ratings. Thanks for stopping by.[polldaddy poll=9729544][polldaddy poll=9719251]...more

How did I go for so long without reading an Agatha Christie?! I wish I'd picked one up sooner! I figured my first read should be the first book published (I have an OCDish need to read books in order) and I have to say that this is a fantastic debut novel. Most authors' work gets better with time - if Christie gets better than this then I have some treats in store!

Long story cut short:- Mrs Inglethorp, the old lady owner of Styles Court, suffers a violent fit early one morning and dies. It appeaHow did I go for so long without reading an Agatha Christie?! I wish I'd picked one up sooner! I figured my first read should be the first book published (I have an OCDish need to read books in order) and I have to say that this is a fantastic debut novel. Most authors' work gets better with time - if Christie gets better than this then I have some treats in store!

Long story cut short:- Mrs Inglethorp, the old lady owner of Styles Court, suffers a violent fit early one morning and dies. It appears that foul play is in the air and the family bring in Hercule Poirot to investigate...

This book was everything a murder mystery should be. There were intriguing characters (which, incidentally, are nicely fleshed-out), a page-turning plot, plenty of clues and red-herrings and, best of all, it kept me guessing right until the very end. The narration also works well - by having Hastings as the narrator, we don't get to see inside Poirot's head, so we can continue to form our own conclusions right to the end.

I also liked how quaint this was. As a reader of more modern thrillers such as James Patterson, Lee Child and David Baldacci, it was nice to realise that there isn't always a requirement for violence, blood and guts in order to have a good plot.

Dame Agatha Christie was born Agatha Mary Clarissa Miller on 15 September 1890 in Torquay, Devon, South West England and lived a very full life until her death by natural causes on 12 January 1976. During those eighty-five years the lady published sixty-six novels and fourteen short story collections, becoming the best selling author in history, outsold only by the Bible.

Dame Agatha Christie was born Agatha Mary Clarissa Miller on 15 September 1890 in Torquay, Devon, South West England and lived a very full life until her death by natural causes on 12 January 1976. During those eighty-five years the lady published sixty-six novels and fourteen short story collections, becoming the best selling author in history, outsold only by the Bible.

Agatha Christie as a child

Christie's remarkable life as a writer had to begin somewhere. She was homeschooled by her father. Although her mother didn't want her to read before she was eight, young Agatha, bored, taught herself to read by age five. Agatha was the recipient of her Mother Clara's gifted storytelling. Her first writing would be short stories.

It was this book, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, published by John Lane of the Bodley Head in London in 1921. Curiously, The Times published it completely as a serial to great reception. Even more curious is that Christie's first book was offered by Lane to be published in the United States in 1920. Both the American and subsequent English editions featured the same dust jacket.

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The Mysterious Affair at Styles, First Edition, The Bodley Head, London, 1921

Oddly enough, Agatha Christie wrote her first Poirot novel on a bet with her older sister Madge that Agatha could not write a detective novel. But Agatha, who had a taste for mysteries, had cut her teeth on The Woman in White and The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins, and the Sherlock Holmes stories by A. Conan Doyle. Christie took the bet.

Agatha had met and married Archie Christie in 1914. Her husband fought in World War One as a fighter pilot. While her husband was overseas, Christie began The Mysterious Affair at Styles in 1916, the year in which the novel is set. Conveniently, Christie volunteered at a hospital where she worked in the dispensary. She learned quite a bit about poisons, how they worked, the symptoms, and the anomalies in which poisons did not always cause the expected reaction.

So, Hercule Poirot was born. Her inspiration was a group of Belgian refugees living in her hometown of Torquay.

From her Autobiography, Christie wrote:

"Then I remembered our Belgian refugees. We had quite a colony of Belgian refugees living in the parish of Tor. Why not make my detective a Belgian? I thought. There were all types of refugees. How about a refugee police officer? A retired police officer. Not too young a one. What a mistake I made there. The result is that my fictional detective must really be well over a hundred now. Anyway, I settled on a Belgian detective."

Christie's debut novel was well received both in England and the United States. Copies sold briskly. Incredibly, Agatha Christie earned only 25 Pounds for her novel, something that would change with her future novels subject to more favorable contracts.

The Bodley Head summarized the plot simply on the original dust jacket.

"Introducing Hercule Poirot, the brilliant – and eccentric – detective who, at a friend's request, steps out of retirement – and into the shadows of a classic mystery on the outskirts of Essex. The victim is the wealthy mistress of Styles Court, found in her locked bedroom with the name of her late husband on her dying lips. Poirot has a few questions for her fortune-hunting new spouse, her aimless stepsons, her private doctor, and her hired companion. The answers are positively poisonous. Who's responsible, and why, can only be revealed by the master detective himself."

Today the setting in an English Country Manor seems in no way original. But Christie ushered in the Golden Age of Mystery with Poirot's debut.

Author Robert Barnard, in appreciation of Christie's work had this to say:

In general The Mysterious Affair at Styles is a considerable achievement for a first-off author. The country-house-party murder is a stereotype in the detective-story genre, which Christie makes no great use of. Not her sort of occasion, at least later in life, and perhaps not really her class. The family party is much more in her line, and this is what we have here. This is one of the few Christies anchored in time and space: we are in Essex, during the First World War. The family is kept together under one roof by the exigencies of war and of a matriarch demanding rather than tyrannical – not one of her later splendid monsters, but a sympathetic and lightly shaded characterisation. If the lifestyle of the family still seems to us lavish, even wasteful, nevertheless we have the half sense that we are witnessing the beginning of the end of the Edwardian summer, that the era of country-house living has entered its final phase. Christie takes advantage of this end-of-an-era feeling in several ways: while she uses the full range of servants and their testimony, a sense of decline, of break-up is evident; feudal attitudes exist, but they crack easily. The marriage of the matriarch with a mysterious nobody is the central out-of-joint event in an intricate web of subtle changes. The family is lightly but effectively characterised, and on the outskirts of the story are the villagers, the small businessmen, and the surrounding farmers – the nucleus of Mayhem Parva. It is, too, a very clever story, with clues and red herrings falling thick and fast. We are entering the age when plans of the house were an indispensable aid to the aspirant solver of detective stories, and when cleverness was more important than suspense. But here we come to a problem that Agatha Christie has not yet solved, for cleverness over the long length easily becomes exhausting, and too many clues tend to cancel each other out, as far as reader interest is concerned. These were problems which Conan Doyle never satisfactorily overcame, but which Christie would."

EXCERPT: We strained and heaved together. The framework of the door was solid, and for a long time it resisted our efforts, but at last we felt it give beneath our weight, and finally, with a resounding crash, it was burst open.We stumbled in together, Lawrence still holding his candle. Mrs. Inglethorp was lying on the bed, her whole form agitated by violent convulsions, in one of which she must have overturned the table beside her. As we entered, however, her limbs relaxed, and she fell back upEXCERPT: We strained and heaved together. The framework of the door was solid, and for a long time it resisted our efforts, but at last we felt it give beneath our weight, and finally, with a resounding crash, it was burst open.We stumbled in together, Lawrence still holding his candle. Mrs. Inglethorp was lying on the bed, her whole form agitated by violent convulsions, in one of which she must have overturned the table beside her. As we entered, however, her limbs relaxed, and she fell back upon the pillows.John strode across the room, and lit the gas. Turning to Annie, one of the housemaids, he sent her downstairs to the dining-room for brandy. Then he went across to his mother whilst I unbolted the door that gave on the corridor.I turned to Lawrence, to suggest that I had better leave them now that there was no further need of my services, but the words were frozen on my lips. Never have I seen such a ghastly look on any man's face. He was white as chalk, the candle he held in his shaking hand was sputtering onto the carpet, and his eyes, petrified with terror, or some such kindred emotion, stared fixedly over my head at a point on the further wall. It was as though he had seen something that turned him to stone. I instinctively followed the direction of his eyes, but I could see nothing unusual. The still feebly flickering ashes in the grate, and the row of prim ornaments on the mantelpiece, were surely harmless enough.

THE BLURB: Poirot, a Belgian refugee of the Great War, is settling in England near the home of Emily Inglethorp, who helped him to his new life. His friend Hastings arrives as a guest at her home. When the woman is killed, Poirot uses his detective skills to solve the mystery.

MY THOUGHTS: Agatha Christie’s first novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, was the result of a dare from her sister Madge who challenged her to write a story. Thank you Madge! But for this sisterly dare, we may never have been able to read the delightful detective stories Miss Christie is so famous for.

And although The Mysterious Affair at Styles was her first novel, I think it remains of the best.

All through listening, I was changing my mind as to the identity of the murderer. And, in the end, I was still wrong!

I listened to the audio version of The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie, narrated by Hugh Fraser, via OverDrive. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. Please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the 'about' page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com for an explanation of my rating system. This review and others are also published on my blog sandysbookaday.wordpress.com https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/......more

This is the first installment in the Hecule Poirot series and was just as brilliant as every other detective book I have read by the undoubted Queen of crime fiction!

The novel is set in an English manor house, Styles, owned by the the Cavendish family. Hastings, our protagonist, is staying with the family in their regal abode when the unexpected and inexplicable murder of Emily Cavendish (or the more recently referred to, Emily Inglethorpe) occurs. The murder scene, a locked bedroom, baffles detThis is the first installment in the Hecule Poirot series and was just as brilliant as every other detective book I have read by the undoubted Queen of crime fiction!

The novel is set in an English manor house, Styles, owned by the the Cavendish family. Hastings, our protagonist, is staying with the family in their regal abode when the unexpected and inexplicable murder of Emily Cavendish (or the more recently referred to, Emily Inglethorpe) occurs. The murder scene, a locked bedroom, baffles detectives and family alike, and it is up to the famous Belgian detective to solve this unsolvable puzzle.

I already knew a death would occur before I even turned the first page, as this is a Christie novel, but that didn't dampen the thrilling atmosphere. The emphasis placed on Mrs Cavendish/Inglethorp's "as yet untasted coffee" early in the novel also led me to a premature conclusion concerning the victim and the means of her demise. Even this didn't hamper my enjoyment, but added to it: I adore playing the amateur sleuth and seeing if my predictions come true. And that is where Christie's brilliance lies. She involves the reader in the crime and places them in Poirot's role, in the hope of uncovering the clues that will lead to the answer of 'whoddunit?'.

I love Christie for giving us an almost voyeuristic insight into the historical upper-class. I also love that the characters continually dismiss Poirot. I have also experienced this in the Miss Marple series. Both are deemed 'past it' when they don't jump to the same, obvious conclusion as the other characters, yet the reader knows who will ultimately be proven correct.

As always, Christie takes the reader in a series of previously unsuspected direction before all is revealed and solved just before the close of the novel. This, as with all her other works, left me completely baffled throughout as to who the perpetrator of the crime was. I am no Poirot, but I enjoy attempting to assume his role in these thrilling insights into historical England....more

I have a goal to read all of Poirot's stuff - order isn't terribly important for this type of 'series', but I don't want to touch his final act and book, Curtain, until I've read the others. Just an OCD reader thing.

The mystery itself was baffling (closed room rocks), but I didn't care much until the surprising end about the culprit. It's hard to explain why, but maybe because the characters didn't draw me in much, besides the main detective Poirot and the semi-clueless Hastings. The book was coI have a goal to read all of Poirot's stuff - order isn't terribly important for this type of 'series', but I don't want to touch his final act and book, Curtain, until I've read the others. Just an OCD reader thing.

The mystery itself was baffling (closed room rocks), but I didn't care much until the surprising end about the culprit. It's hard to explain why, but maybe because the characters didn't draw me in much, besides the main detective Poirot and the semi-clueless Hastings. The book was completely enjoyable, though, as Poirot shines when he's introduced in this first book featuring the Belgian detective. He doesn't focus on his mustache quite as much yet, alludes to the little grey cells only once, but steals the scenes wherever he goes. Hastings is amusing - I admit some of his books I found dry but I'll have to revisit - but here he's likable as the narrator. I don't get his thing for the women, though, were all men so easily led into marriage back then?

Even if I felt little for the victim or cared about the accused cast, I didn't figure out the ending and liked the neat curveball Christie threw the readers way, something I never saw coming. The clues add up but, like Hastings, I'm too dense to get them. It's amazing how Agatha could conceive and hold all that in her mind, but then there is a reason she still stands as one of the very best in detective fiction.

Overall a great book featuring Poirot. It's a fast, smooth read with stylish dialogue, a few twists thrown in every few chapters to keep the waters from feeling too calm and keeping the readers mind working. I wasn't entranced by the players, though, so this is not a five-star rating. Still, it's worth a read for mystery fans....more

The setting is an English country manor house during World War I. The lady of the house has a will, potentially multiple wills, and just about everybody at the house has some reason for wishing her dead, or at least suspecting the others with vehement certitude. Nearly everyone's got a motive and red herrings are flying about the place like, well, like flying fish!

I loved the WWI details and such howThus begins the sleuthing adventures of that diminutive Belgian private detective Hercule Poirot!

The setting is an English country manor house during World War I. The lady of the house has a will, potentially multiple wills, and just about everybody at the house has some reason for wishing her dead, or at least suspecting the others with vehement certitude. Nearly everyone's got a motive and red herrings are flying about the place like, well, like flying fish!

I loved the WWI details and such how Poirot and some fellow Belgian refugees are guest to the English and soldiers are convalescing at houses such as this. Interesting slice of wartime life.

I've read a few of Agatha Christie's Poirot books before and grown fond of the recurring characters, so it was nice to finally see where it all began. While not her best work, I believe The Mysterious Affair at Styles is Christie's very first work, and with that in mind, this ain't half bad!

I don't know if it deserves four stars, because I'm a fan and was happy to get some insights into the main characters that would carry this series into the dozens. This book lays the blueprint for many (most?) of her others, which would be written with varying degrees of skill, some better and some worse than this one. So I don't mind giving it the rating I did....more

Well this was a nice surprise! I *don’t do* cosy mysteries, or at least not for several decades. I’ve read a few Christies in my time but it’s the tv series and films that I remember more. So I can’t really explain the urge I got to read one; several of my goodread friends regularly read or re-read them so maybe it was their influence! So I started right at the beginning. I fought liking it for the first few chapters and then just gave in and enjoyed it. It’s hilarious that Hastings has pretensiWell this was a nice surprise! I *don’t do* cosy mysteries, or at least not for several decades. I’ve read a few Christies in my time but it’s the tv series and films that I remember more. So I can’t really explain the urge I got to read one; several of my goodread friends regularly read or re-read them so maybe it was their influence! So I started right at the beginning. I fought liking it for the first few chapters and then just gave in and enjoyed it. It’s hilarious that Hastings has pretensions to be a detective himself because he isn’t terribly bright! :

“Yes, he is intelligent. But we must be more intelligent. We must be so intelligent that he does not suspect us of being intelligent at all." I acquiesced. "There, mon ami, you will be of great assistance to me." I was pleased with the compliment. There had been times when I hardly thought that Poirot appreciated me at my true worth.

I even enjoyed the little maps and diagrams!I have to say as well that the Poirot tv series with John Suchet, from years ago, was really excellent as I could still visualise it as I was reading....more

This was the book that started it all for Agatha Christie, according to the wiki article about her. It certainly was the book that started it all for Hercule Poirot and his friend Hastings.

I have never read much of Christie's work, and chose this title for my Literary Birthday challenge for that very reason. I have seen episodes of both Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple on television in the past so it was very easy to picture our famous detective and his partner while I was reading. Seeing these sThis was the book that started it all for Agatha Christie, according to the wiki article about her. It certainly was the book that started it all for Hercule Poirot and his friend Hastings.

I have never read much of Christie's work, and chose this title for my Literary Birthday challenge for that very reason. I have seen episodes of both Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple on television in the past so it was very easy to picture our famous detective and his partner while I was reading. Seeing these shows also prepared me for the relationship between Hastings and Poirot as well as the typical 'gather all the suspects into one room and confront them with the truth' style of revealing the solution.

The story itself was interesting for me to a point. I don't read too many mysteries and I honestly could not get caught up in any of the characters other than Poirot himself. I made the usual guesses about 'whodunnit'; changed my mind several times, and never did choose the correct culprit. But the explanations at the end were clear and made sense, so I was satisfied.

A few things did capture my attention:1. Hastings at one point describes an attorney's appearance and says he had a lawyer's mouth....now what exactly would that be?

2. We know Poirot is a tidy man, a fussy dresser very careful of his appearance, that's fine and dandy. But there were two scenes that seemed a little odd and I wonder if in future books Christie ever explains the detective's concern about spent matches. He picks up one that John tosses into the shrubbery, then later he puts some used matches in a china pot in his room. What does he plan to do with them? Why does he care about those used matches? Why do I care that he cared?

And here are some nifty examples of Hercule Poirot's mind at work:

Scolding Hastings: "You gave too much rein to your imagination. Imagination is a good servant, and a bad master. The simplest explanation is always the most likely."

Another scolding for Hastings (he certainly never seemed too bright compared to Poirot): "What have I always told you? Everything must be taken into account. If the fact will not fit the theory—let the theory go."

When Hastings was visiting friends at Styles Court in Essex he had no idea what was about to happen. The shock the death of the elderly owner of the property caused was such that there were many suspects. Hastings quickly found his old friend Detective Hercule Poirot, who was also visiting town, and asked him to become involved. After all, the little Frenchman was well-known for his ability to solve even the most mysterious of mysteries.

But would he be outdone this time? Hastings thought he knewWhen Hastings was visiting friends at Styles Court in Essex he had no idea what was about to happen. The shock the death of the elderly owner of the property caused was such that there were many suspects. Hastings quickly found his old friend Detective Hercule Poirot, who was also visiting town, and asked him to become involved. After all, the little Frenchman was well-known for his ability to solve even the most mysterious of mysteries.

But would he be outdone this time? Hastings thought he knew whodunit – but Poirot was keeping his thoughts to himself, much to Hastings’ annoyance. Was it because he didn't know? Was the magnificent Poirot stumped this time?

The Mysterious Affair at Styles is the first in the Hercule Poirot mystery series by Agatha Christie and it was a lot of fun. I enjoy reading of the Frenchman’s antics, and this was no exception. Recommended....more

This was Agatha's Christie's first novel, and, as such, I was prepared for it to be a bit rough, but this was delightful. Maybe it seems odd to use such a cheery word to describe a murder mystery, but, let's face it, Christie's books are like dinner theater. The actor who plays the victim will pop out from behind the curtain very much alive when all is said and done.

Mrs. Inglethorp raised her two stepsons as her own, but there are tensions between them when she inherits the family home, Styles,This was Agatha's Christie's first novel, and, as such, I was prepared for it to be a bit rough, but this was delightful. Maybe it seems odd to use such a cheery word to describe a murder mystery, but, let's face it, Christie's books are like dinner theater. The actor who plays the victim will pop out from behind the curtain very much alive when all is said and done.

Mrs. Inglethorp raised her two stepsons as her own, but there are tensions between them when she inherits the family home, Styles, and her late husband's fortune over the boys. Now that she has remarried, the sons worry that they might be overlooked again in favor of her scoundrel of a new husband. Yes, it seems Mrs. Inglethorp is surrounded by fortune hunters, and there's no shortage of suspects when she is poisoned in the middle of the night. But while she might not be beloved by her family, Mrs. Inglethorp gained a reputation for her generosity to the Belgian people during WW1. And one specific Belgian, Hercule Poirot, is determined to get to the bottom of her murder.

I very much enjoyed Poirot's friend Hastings as the narrator, particularly because made himself an unsuspecting idiot the whole book. Hastings is weirdly jealous and a bit of a creeper over his friend's wife, so he deserves it. I didn't see the murderer coming, and the reveal was a nice surprise. And while there's the pinch of racism, smidgen of anti-semitism, and heaping tablespoon of anti-sexism you'd expect from a novel written in 1920, sometimes I get the impression Christie is mocking in her usage. I'm becoming a bit of an addict for her books, and I can't wait to read more....more

The Mysterious Affair at Styles was a fun quick read. This book is Agatha Christie’s first published novel and the first to feature the famous Belgian detective Hercule Poirot. Beloved by many for being a completely pompous prig, this character launched Christie’s career and ultimately resulted in her books being the most widely read in history selling millions of copies. This author, perhaps being outsold only by Shakespeare or the Bible, has to have been doing something right.

In this debut noThe Mysterious Affair at Styles was a fun quick read. This book is Agatha Christie’s first published novel and the first to feature the famous Belgian detective Hercule Poirot. Beloved by many for being a completely pompous prig, this character launched Christie’s career and ultimately resulted in her books being the most widely read in history selling millions of copies. This author, perhaps being outsold only by Shakespeare or the Bible, has to have been doing something right.

In this debut novel, we cover some familiar territory. A rich old woman, living in an English Mansion, has been murdered. We have a body, a murder weapon, some strange clues, and a well experienced detective that already has it all figured out. So sit back on that cozy couch, sip some hot coffee, and read The Mysterious Affair at Styles. What more could you love? ...more

Who murdered Mrs. Inglethorp? That was the question in this book, the first I've ever read by Agatha Christie. There was no shortage of suspects, even though the elderly Mrs. Inglethorp wasn't a bad person and was even charitable, though not someone loved by those closest to her since she made them beholden to her. The murder occurred while a friend of the family was in residence, a Mr. Arthur Hastings, who just so happened to know a famous, though retired Belgian detective living nearby in theWho murdered Mrs. Inglethorp? That was the question in this book, the first I've ever read by Agatha Christie. There was no shortage of suspects, even though the elderly Mrs. Inglethorp wasn't a bad person and was even charitable, though not someone loved by those closest to her since she made them beholden to her. The murder occurred while a friend of the family was in residence, a Mr. Arthur Hastings, who just so happened to know a famous, though retired Belgian detective living nearby in the Essex countryside, a Mr. Hercule Poirot. With the local detectives giving their permission, Poirot investigates, Hastings acting as his devil's advocate and right hand man. The two men are friends, but couldn't be more different if they tried, their personalities and methods to their madness clashing and clanging all the way through the book, providing as much entertainment as the who done it.

This book was Christie's first mystery novel, published in 1920 and written on a dare by Christie's sister, Madge. I didn't know what to expect from it since I've read mostly modern day detective stories and somehow thought ones by Christie would be dated or too lightweight compared to them. While this book is what I'd call a comfort read, something I'm not familiar with in this genre, and while there was much heavy-handed foreshadowing of the murder which on reflection was probably done in excess on purpose, there was nothing flimsy or outmoded about this story. I thoroughly enjoyed being stumped by the author and by Poirot as he gathered his clues, keeping much to himself, much to the frustration of his pal, Hastings.

There was only one thing that marred my enjoyment of this book. I was disappointed in the racial and anti-Semitic remarks sprinkled within it, which I've read is typical of Christie's later books, as well. Yes, I know this book, like those by Dickens and other authors, was written a long time ago when such attitudes flourished and when writers and others weren't shy about expressing them. But it still bothers me to read such things, even in fiction, and especially when it isn't an ignorant or repellent character spouting off about it, but an intelligent and witty main character I had grown fond of.

Still, I've had my say about it now, just as I've praised other aspects of this twisty, brain-teaser of a mystery that had me wanting to read more. I look forward to continuing with this series in the very near future. ...more

When I picked up this book, I was pleased to find out it was Agatha Christie's very first novel written in 1920. I had always wanted to read one of her Detective Hercule Poirot murder mysteries, and this one did not disappoint (once I got into it). Poirot, with his diminutive stance, egg shaped head and mustache is quite a peculiar and entertaining character and his young friend Captain Arthur Hasting's (who narrates the story) is honest to a fault with his naïveté. While Ten Little Indians or bWhen I picked up this book, I was pleased to find out it was Agatha Christie's very first novel written in 1920. I had always wanted to read one of her Detective Hercule Poirot murder mysteries, and this one did not disappoint (once I got into it). Poirot, with his diminutive stance, egg shaped head and mustache is quite a peculiar and entertaining character and his young friend Captain Arthur Hasting's (who narrates the story) is honest to a fault with his naïveté. While Ten Little Indians or better known as And Then There Were None will always be my very favorite AC book no matter how many I read, The Mysterious Affair at Styles was definitely a fun read!...more

3 years back, It was so annoying to see her books in my friends' hands. That time, despite being known about her fame, I didn't think I'll read her someday and will be left in awe.

I confess that I felt for it's attractive cover, and the friend, from whom I borrowed it, didn't read it, she just bought it, and there is nothing as exiting and adventurous as to read the books before their owners!

So, as the story went, I had my suspicions continuously chIt was my first try on Agatha Christie novel,

3 years back, It was so annoying to see her books in my friends' hands. That time, despite being known about her fame, I didn't think I'll read her someday and will be left in awe.

I confess that I felt for it's attractive cover, and the friend, from whom I borrowed it, didn't read it, she just bought it, and there is nothing as exiting and adventurous as to read the books before their owners!

So, as the story went, I had my suspicions continuously changing but it didn't matter me much because I was too fascinated by the french dialog of Hercule Poirot.

My first time to read crime/detective genre (I know lol) and first dose of agatha christie! Some parts of the plot were interesting, though kinda a tedious read for me at times, I don't think I'll probably reread this. However, I'm looking forward to read more of her books!

My first Agatha Christie novel! It was an interesting read and I struggled to put it down. Until the end, I'd probably have given it 3 stars but I loved how it all came together. Very clever. I'm looking forward to reading more - I have a small selection of Hercule Poirot books and I'll be working through them in publication order.

"The Mysterious Affair at Styles" is Agatha Christie's first published novel. It is set in a country house in Essex, England during World War I. The narrator, Arthur Hastings, is on sick leave from the military when he is invited to spend some time at Styles, the Cavendish manor, by an old school chum. Emily Cavendish, the widowed stepmother of John and Lawrence Cavendish, has recently remarried. Her new husband, Alfred Inglethorp, is a younger man that the family regards as a fortune hunter. In"The Mysterious Affair at Styles" is Agatha Christie's first published novel. It is set in a country house in Essex, England during World War I. The narrator, Arthur Hastings, is on sick leave from the military when he is invited to spend some time at Styles, the Cavendish manor, by an old school chum. Emily Cavendish, the widowed stepmother of John and Lawrence Cavendish, has recently remarried. Her new husband, Alfred Inglethorp, is a younger man that the family regards as a fortune hunter. In the middle of the night the family and servants at Styles are awakened by Emily who is dying. Poisoning is suspected so Hastings asks his friend Hercule Poirot to aid in the investigation of Emily's death. Many of the residents at Styles could benefit by Emily's death.

The reader is told the clues mostly through the conversations between Hastings and Poirot. Poirot has a fantastic mind and years of experience investigating crimes, so he leaves Hastings in the dust (much like Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson). The culprit is not obvious so it was entertaining to see Poirot in action. Poirot is a wonderful character, and it was fun to see where it all started. While it was not my favorite Agatha Christie mystery, it was impressive for a first novel....more

Hastings, why should I be the hypocrite? To blush when I am praised and say, like you, It is nothing. I have the order ,the method, and the psychology. There, I admit , I am the best. I am Hercule Poirot.Poirot* The Mystery of the Spanish Chest.

I read my first Agatha Christie`s mystery when I was twelve years old, and I got on , Read everything I could lay hands on back then, I must`ve read about twenty of them , So I kind of grew out of them and began to get a bit irritated with some small thinHastings, why should I be the hypocrite? To blush when I am praised and say, like you, It is nothing. I have the order ,the method, and the psychology. There, I admit , I am the best. I am Hercule Poirot.Poirot* The Mystery of the Spanish Chest.

I read my first Agatha Christie`s mystery when I was twelve years old, and I got on , Read everything I could lay hands on back then, I must`ve read about twenty of them , So I kind of grew out of them and began to get a bit irritated with some small things or find that some of the books seem to have the same plot with minor changes . There was a certain repetition that inevitably crept into her work No matter how many you read, there was always the assurance that there were plenty more...So?deep sigh*I tried to involve myself in the plot. and figure out the crime in as fair a manner as possible. Yet, I never seemed to deduce the answer to the mystery. -It is always wise to suspect everybody until you can prove logically , and to your own satisfaction, that they are innocent.The best way to discover who has committed the murder is to turn the end of the book to find out whodunit?...more

Agatha Christie is the best-selling author of all time. She wrote eighty crime novels and story collections, fourteen plays, and several other books. Her books have sold roughly four billion copies and have been translated into 45 languages. She is tAgatha Christie also wrote romance novels under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott, and was occasionally published under the name Agatha Christie Mallowan.

Agatha Christie is the best-selling author of all time. She wrote eighty crime novels and story collections, fourteen plays, and several other books. Her books have sold roughly four billion copies and have been translated into 45 languages. She is the creator of the two most enduring figures in crime literature-Hercule Poirot and Miss Jane Marple-and author of The Mousetrap, the longest-running play in the history of modern theatre.

Agatha Mary Clarissa Miller was born in Torquay, Devon, England, U.K., as the youngest of three. The Millers had two other children: Margaret Frary Miller (1879–1950), called Madge, who was eleven years Agatha's senior, and Louis Montant Miller (1880–1929), called Monty, ten years older than Agatha.

During the First World War, she worked at a hospital as a nurse; later working at a hospital pharmacy, a job that influenced her work, as many of the murders in her books are carried out with poison.

On Christmas Eve 1914 Agatha married Archibald Christie, an aviator in the Royal Flying Corps. The couple had one daughter, Rosalind Hicks. They divorced in 1928, two years after Christie discovered her husband was having an affair.

Her first novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, came out in 1920. During this marriage, Agatha published six novels, a collection of short stories, and a number of short stories in magazines.

In late 1926, Agatha's husband, Archie, revealed that he was in love with another woman, Nancy Neele, and wanted a divorce. On 8 December 1926 the couple quarreled, and Archie Christie left their house Styles in Sunningdale, Berkshire, to spend the weekend with his mistress at Godalming, Surrey. That same evening Agatha disappeared from her home, leaving behind a letter for her secretary saying that she was going to Yorkshire. Her disappearance caused an outcry from the public, many of whom were admirers of her novels. Despite a massive manhunt, she was not found for eleven days.

In 1930, Christie married archaeologist Max Mallowan (Sir Max from 1968) after joining him in an archaeological dig. Their marriage was especially happy in the early years and remained so until Christie's death in 1976. In 1977, Mallowan married his longtime associate, Barbara Parker.

Christie frequently used familiar settings for her stories. Christie's travels with Mallowan contributed background to several of her novels set in the Middle East. Other novels (such as And Then There Were None) were set in and around Torquay, where she was born. Christie's 1934 novel Murder on the Orient Express was written in the Hotel Pera Palace in Istanbul, Turkey, the southern terminus of the railway. The hotel maintains Christie's room as a memorial to the author. The Greenway Estate in Devon, acquired by the couple as a summer residence in 1938, is now in the care of the National Trust.

Christie often stayed at Abney Hall in Cheshire, which was owned by her brother-in-law, James Watts. She based at least two of her stories on the hall: the short story The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding, which is in the story collection of the same name, and the novel After the Funeral. "Abney became Agatha's greatest inspiration for country-house life, with all the servants and grandeur which have been woven into her plots.

During the Second World War, Christie worked in the pharmacy at University College Hospital of University College, London, where she acquired a knowledge of poisons that she put to good use in her post-war crime novels.

To honour her many literary works, she was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 1956 New Year Honours. The next year, she became the President of the Detection Club. In the 1971 New Year Honours she was promoted Dame Commande...more